Pictured at the County Buildings in Ayr are the participants and Instructor prior to starting the training course.
A Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) Elementary Food and Health Course, the first of ten training courses that will take place between September 2008 and March 2009, was held in the County Buildings in Ayr. A total of 140 people will attend the courses over the coming months to receive additional training in food and health issues.
Earlier this year South Ayrshire council Environmental Health officers in partnership with the local NHS Public Health Dietician applied to the Foods Standards Agency (FSA) for £10,000 of funding as part of the FSA's 2008/09 Food Hygiene Campaign. The application was successful, with this Council being one of only five local authorities in Scotland to be granted funding under the project. This is the second year in a row that the Council has been successful in securing funding from the FSA for training courses.
Officers from the Council's Environmental Health Service are working in partnership with SAC Community Care, who provide home care services for older people, and Hansel Village, who give support to people with additional support needs both on a residential and community basis. Six places on courses are being allocated to Council employees involved in catering services at either the County Buildings, Burns House, the John Pollock Centre, Gaiety theatre, Citadel and Dolphin Outreach Centre at Culzean.
Councillor Peter Convery, the Council's Portfolio Carrier for Sustainability and Environment issues said: "It is a credit to the Council that the FSA has seen fit to fund the courses for the second year in a row, the Council is very grateful for their support.
"The courses will provide important training for people who engage directly with groups of people who need to take extra special care about their diet. The course participants will use the further knowledge they gain of food and health to help improve and influence the diet and knowledge of food and health of their clients."
People who have been allocated places on the courses work directly with people with additional learning support needs and older people in the community.
Course participants will gain an appreciation and understanding of food and nutrition and the effects on health by learning about:
- Functions of food in terms of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
- The role of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
- Fluid and alcohol intake.
- Differing energy needs for babies, children, pregnant women and older people.
- The importance of food in chronic diseases such as diabetes, coeliac disease (wheat intolerance).
- Healthy eating and ways of preparing and cooking foods for a healthy diet.
- Assessing nutrition information on food labels.
Anyone who would like further information about food and health matters, or information on future course, should contact Environmental Health staff on telephone number 01292 6918222 or e-mail environmental.health@south-ayrshire.gov.uk.
For more information on food related matters log on to the FSA's website at www.food.gov.uk.